Over the last decade, the Lafayette Christian Academy Knights have been one of the most dominant winning programs regardless of classification in Louisiana. The last seven years, the Knights have made it all the way to the state championship game including four straight state championship wins from 2018-2021. Now, with the last two head coaches in Trev Faulk and Hunter Landry leaving LCA for Lafayette Renaissance, the Knights are committed to continue their winning ways by hiring one of the state’s rising young head coaches in Zach Lochard.
“This culture is really the big sell at a position like this because it’s the culture that has led to so many championships. It’s a positive Christian environment and I am coaching kids with a 4.2 GPA that are going to go on and be engineers and things like that. The kids want to be pushed, challenged, held accountable, and want to be disciplined. They told me that on Day 1 when I got hired. The parents and the booster club have been so supportive. We got all the support that you can possibly ask for and it just makes it that much more excited to go to work. It is exciting to be wearing the red, white, and the blue representing the Knights.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
For Coach Lochard, being the head coach at Lafayette Christian Academy has always been the goal for him not only for what the football team has accomplished by winning and competing for state championships, but also for what the institution stands for.
“Just the name Lafayette Christian Academy. That has always been my ultimate destination, my ultimate goal. I’ve always wanted to be a head coach. I was blessed in 2020 to get my first opportunity at Patterson and learned a lot there. My second year, we went 7-3 and hosted a playoff game. We had several kids sign scholarships so we had great athletes there. The upgrade to go to Breaux Bridge the last two years was a huge step up. We had success and made it to the Quarterfinals my first year and lost in the second round this past year. We had more kids sign college scholarships and had great kids and great people at both of those places, but I’m a Christian so the ability to speak about Christ is extremely important to me and my family. My priorities at this point of my life are faith, family, and football.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
With the Knights competing for the last seven state championships and with Lochard’s past record of raising the level of play at the previous schools he has been, he knows that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but he also wants to continue to add versatility to an already explosive offensive attack.
“Offensively, my background when I was at Breaux Bridge and Patterson, we ran a lot of pro sets and a heavy running game. Over the past seven years, LCA went to the state championship game and won four of those championships primarily out of the spread. Some elements, there are some tight end sets, two running back sets, and things like that. We want to be multiple, but we are meeting as coaches everyday and trying to take advantage of the personnel that we do have. We have the ability week to week to spread you out and beat you with our speed or if it is necessary, pound the ball and get physical with the run. We definitely want to continue the history of LCA having really explosive offenses.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
The Knights will be replacing one of the most productive and exciting players not only in their history, but in the history of Louisiana high school football in Ju’Juan Johnson. Louisiana’s Mr. Football accounted for 14,451 total yards and 171 total touchdowns while leading the Knights to three straight state championship game appearances. While Louisiana’s all-time record holder for touchdowns and total yards is now playing defensive back at LSU and is not under center for the Knights any longer, the offense is going to be just fine with his replacement as they now enter the Braylon Walker era.
“After Ju’Juan had the best statistical season a quarterback has ever had in Louisiana history, everybody knew who was waiting and Braylon Walker is the guy. He is one of the most valuable weapons that I’ve had on any of my teams. He is a student of the game The first day I asked him what he likes against Cover 4, Cover 3, Cover 2, Cover 1, Cover 0, and he can recite it off the top of his head. More importantly, he is a leader and he has never missed a practice or has been late. He never has a bad attitude and is always pushing the guys around him. He’s got a phenomenal arm and is one of the most athletic quarterbacks that I’ve ever been around. He is a Christian. He is a strong leader and a strong character young man. We are so blessed to have him the next two years.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
The first year starting quarterback will have some big shoes to fill, but he has what it takes to get it done and he will have some incredible athletes to spread the football to including three returning starters that have been invited to play in the 2024 Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game and were at our Media Day in Pineville, Louisiana.
“We got Calvin Parker. Calvin is an explosive playmaker offensively as a slot receiver and as a running back. You can get the ball in his hands and he is just a lightning fast, dynamic, and intelligent young man. He is a team leader and we are playing him on both sides of the football as well. We are playing him at safety and some outside linebacker. He is a guy that can play both ways the whole game because he is in incredible shape and he is incredibly smart. He is somebody that brings the level of play to everybody around him.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
“Also, here with me today is Brennan Walker. He is one of the best receivers in the state. He had over 1,200 yards receiving and he really has goals of really breaking out this year and being one of the most productive receivers in the state. He is another great kid that plays on the defensive side of the football when we need him to. He easily has the coverage skills to lock a man down 1 on 1.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
“Jalen Noel is one of the best running backs in the state. He is absolutely explosive with the ball in his hands and he has some of the best hands out of any running back that I have coached. We can line him up in empty. We can run him out of the backfield. He is extremely dangerous and explosive. He is also unselfish and willing to go wherever he needs to go. He also plays some linebacker on the other side of the ball. Whatever it takes. These are team first type of guys.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
“Those are just three players, but we have a great senior class. We got a lot of underclassmen as well and I really feel blessed that we have some of the best players for anybody around this area of the state.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
Ju’Juan Johnson is not the only big piece the Knights will have to replace as they will mostly have to replace some of its defensive pieces from a season ago including defensive tackle Melvin Hills, who is now playing for the University of Texas. While the defensive front may be rebuilding, that side of the football will rely on an experienced secondary led by Chris Helaire, Luke Green, Calvin Parker, and Sky Ryan.
Just like the offensive side of the football, the defense will be versatile and will create unique challenges for opposing offenses.
“Defensively, we got some odd front personnel stuff. We are definitely multiple, but we are going to be pressure oriented, tight, aggressive, and a challenging front. That is also been historically LCA’s mantra. We have been playing tight press and man to man. We want to be versatile enough to give you different looks, different fronts, different coverages, and different stunts. We want to set the tempo defensively. I really believe that defenses win championships so we are putting a lot of effort and resources into the teaching of our personnel and maximizing their potential in order to be successful.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
The Knights will be looking to stay successful facing one of the toughest schedules in the state this year. It all starts with a brutal non-district slate that includes Archbishop Rummel, Carencro, Westgate, Archbishop Shaw, and Central High School before facing teams like Lafayette Renaissance, Notre Dame, Welsh, Evangel Christian Academy, and Lake Arthur.
“That’s exactly what we want. If you want to be the best, you got to beat the best. We look at this as ten opportunities that we can show the state of Louisiana who we are. That is our mantra. It has always been about us in our locker room and within our team. That is all we are focusing on. We are thrilled with the schedule and we feel that it will help us in the playoffs and all the way to the Superdome for the state championship.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
To help him with this transition, Coach Lochard has surrounded himself with coaches that have already been part of the success at LCA or have been on this coaching journey with him at other stops.
“I was really lucky to have some of the best coaches on the state already on staff. Matt Standiford is our assistant head coach and he oversees the offense and the offensive line. He is the middle school athletic director and is so connected and has been around there for so long. He knows the history of LCA and I rely on him daily to help me with this transition and help us run full speed through this transition. Mitch Craft is my defensive coordinator and head strength coach. A lot of schools would love to have him on their staff. The kids love him and would run through a brick wall for him. The defense broke 17 school records under him last year. Also, Drew Bergeron is our special teams coordinator as well as our defensive backs coach. He works with our corners and safeties as well. He is just one of the sharpest minds and has worked at UL. Mitch Craft played at Southern Miss. Matt Standiford played at Louisiana Christian University. They are all guys that have college experiences.”
“I also brought Ty Fenroy. He is a legend in the state of Louisiana and is in the Hall of Fame for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He rushed for over 4,000 yards and was my offensive coordinator the past two years at Breaux Bridge, and he will have the same type of role over at LCA. We are extremely blessed to have him and his wealth of knowledge of being in the NFL and being one of the best running backs in Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns history. Treverance Pat was a guy that I coached when I was an assistant at UL. He was one of the best players on our team during our four year New Orleans Bowl run and our Sun Belt Conference Championship win in 2013. He was a safety on all those teams and a team leader. He was my defensive backs coach at Breaux Bridge and now, he is going to take on the same role at LCA with us. Those are just a few. We have a lot of CECP coaches and other faculty coaches that have been working with us everyday and we are blessed to have them.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
Other coaches may come into a situation leading one of Louisiana’s recent dynasties with one of the toughest schedules while trying to replace the most productive offensive player in state history feeling like they are under a lot of pressure, but that’s certainly not the case for Coach Lochard, who embraces everyday with a great attitude and is not only willing, but even excited to work at each and everyday.
“It’s phenomenal. I am so blessed. Pastor Jay Miller is the preacher and head of the family church and the family church has Lafayette Christian Academy. He was in for my interview and he has been a blessing to me first as a spiritual mentor and as a pastor. He has started his own tv station this year, and it is about producing champions in all sports and all works of life. Mr. Lantier is a former coach and was the girls basketball coach that won the state championship. He is a tremendous leader and our principal Mrs. Koch is phenomenal as well. I work hand to hand with her and her faculty. I am really blessed to be in a Christian atmosphere with high caliber students and athletes.”
LCA Head Coach Zach Lochard
Even with a lot of new faces, the LCA Knights have what it takes to continue their unbelievable run of eight straight state championship appearances by season’s end.
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